Dorothy Barley Infants' School

Dorothy Barley Infants’ School Davington Road, Dagenham, Essex RM8 2LL

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The interim headteacher has inspired other senior leaders and staff to work together as an effective team. As a result, the quality of teaching has improved from the previous inspection.  Most teachers skilfully encourage pupils to learn from their mistakes. This helps pupils to develop confidence and resilience and, as a result, their learning is more secure and they make faster progress.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) is a strength and pupils read with confidence and interest.  The school’s broad and stimulating curriculum motivates pupils to learn.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics from very low starting points.  Pupils are well behaved, and disruption to learning and bullying are rare. Pupils get on well with each other and cooperate well from an early age.  Children have a secure start in the early years. They make good progress and, by the end of the

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This is a good school

Reception Year, they are ready to start Year 1.  Arrangements for keeping children safe are well managed. Pupils told inspectors they felt safe in school and well cared for by the adults who work there.  Many visits and other activities mean that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.  Governance has improved from the time of the previous inspection. The governing body is well led and ambitious for the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The most able pupils sometimes start with work that is too easy, and teachers do not provide them with challenging work quickly enough.  Some teachers do not provide clear feedback to pupils to help them improve their work.  In some lessons, pupils are not given enough time to respond to the feedback they are given by teachers. This slows pupils’ progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that more teaching consistently matches the best practice in the school by: – providing the most able pupils with more challenging activities, without insisting they complete work that is too easy first – giving clear feedback to pupils on how they can improve their work – giving pupils time to respond to this feedback so they can correct or improve their work.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Since the headteacher took up her temporary post in January 2016, she has provided clarity and direction for the school. As a result, leaders work well together as an effective team. There is a tangible common purpose among staff. All staff know what the school’s priorities are and make a positive contribution to its improvement.  The areas for improvement identified at the time of the previous inspection have been dealt with effectively. For example, robust systems are now in place to track pupils’ progress. Teachers are held to account for the progress pupils make. The governing body has a very clear understanding of its role in checking that the school is making progress with its plans and is improving.  The curriculum is well planned. Leaders have made sure that all subjects are covered thoroughly in each year group. Additional activities such as visits to the Tower of London and a local zoo provide pupils with

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

exciting and interesting experiences. These rich and varied activities stimulate and motivate pupils to produce better work, especially improving the quality of their writing.  The school has used the funding for the pupil premium effectively. Gaps between disadvantaged pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics and their peers have either narrowed or been eliminated.  The extra funding for primary physical education and sport is focused effectively on providing pupils with specialist instruction and additional resources in physical education. The wide range of sporting activities and experiences now offered has increased the pupils’ levels of interest and their participation.  British values are covered well in assemblies and the personal, social, health and economic education lessons. Pupils from different backgrounds and cultures work and play well together.  The school provides a good range of opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

development. Pupils are taught about other religions. Some pupils told an inspector that ‘it would be boring if we were all the same’. A display of pupils’ work about the qualities of being a good friend had ‘trust’ at the top of the list.  The school has robust systems in place to manage the performance of teachers. Senior leaders hold teachers to account effectively through the regular meetings to check on pupils’ progress.  The support from the local authority has contributed effectively to the school’s improvement. The support has included advice and guidance from the school’s link adviser to senior leaders and governors. Teachers have received training and advice from the local authority’s early years and special educational needs teams. The local authority also played a key role in the appointment of the interim headteacher.  The systems for checking the quality of teaching are rigorous and effective. Senior and middle leaders

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

have an accurate view on what happens in lessons. They use the information they collect from observations, book checks and assessment information well, providing teachers with feedback on their work. This has led to a more consistent approach in lessons, although leaders agree with inspectors that a few inconsistencies remain.  The governance of the school – The governing body is well led and knows the school’s strengths and weaknesses. – Governors are well informed about the work of the school. They frequently visit the school, sitting in on lessons and meeting with teachers who lead different subjects – During its meetings, the governing body challenges the headteacher to explain decisions and clarify issues. This is a significant improvement from the previous inspection. Questions from governors and the responses from senior leaders are carefully recorded in the minutes of meetings to ensure effective accountability.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school’s systems for recording and following up incidents are rigorous and reliable. Documentation takes account of the latest national information and guidance from the local authority. Work with outside agencies is timely and efficient. Staff training is up to date and matches the latest government guidance. There is effective staff training and teaching about e-safety. Staff are also up to date with the latest guidance on female genital mutilation and child sexual exploitation. Highly effective work on radicalisation and extremism has taken place, providing staff with clear strategies to protect pupils.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Classrooms are well organised, providing pupils with the useful resources and activities that improve their learning. Teachers ask questions skilfully, moving pupils’ thinking on.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) is very effective. Pupils have made significant progress in reading over the current school year.  Teachers are good at modelling their own writing and mathematical calculation strategies so that pupils can learn from them. Consequently pupils are able to see how they can improve their own writing and gain a better understanding of how to use more efficient methods in their calculations.  Teachers act promptly when pupils make a mistake or are not sure about how to do something. Pupils learn from their errors and make better progress as a result.  Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. They make sure pupils retain a focus on learning while nipping low-level disruption in the bud.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers introduce elements of learning English and mathematics into other subjects where relevant. For example, while working with clay in an art lesson, pupils used adjectives and fractions to describe how the clay felt and could be divided.  Teachers’ feedback to pupils about what they have done well and their next steps in learning has improved. However, some teachers do not do this with the same consistency as the majority of their colleagues. As a result, pupils sometimes do not receive the information they need to help them make the progress of which they are capable.  Most-able pupils throughout the school do not always make good enough progress. At the start of lessons they are often required to complete the easier work given to their classmates before being given the more challenging activities. This does not provide these pupils with the challenging activities they need.  Most teachers follow the school’s marking and feedback policy well. Pupils are provided with written and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

oral commentaries at the end of pieces of work. Teachers are not consistent, however, in giving pupils time to respond to the comments. This means that some pupils are not able to use teachers’ comments to correct or improve their work.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupil’s personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are friendly towards each other and enjoy each other’s company.  Pupils told inspectors that there is very little bullying. On the few occasions when it does happen, adults deal with it promptly and well. They feel safe in school.  Pupils enjoy their lessons and are keen to work. Writing and numbers in books are neat and well presented.  Pupils know and understand the risks of the internet and using technology such as tablets and mobile phones.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They have good manners and are responsive to the directions of adults. Parents who spoke to inspectors and responded to Parent View also felt that pupils’ behaviour was good.  Attendance has improved since the previous inspection. The school uses a range of strategies to encourage parents to make sure their children come to school. These include the relentless use of text messages and phone calls to follow up on latecomers and persistent absentees. The school’s work on improving attendance is paying off as fewer pupils are away from school for long periods than has been the case in the past. The school works effectively with other agencies over attendance.  Inspectors were told by pupils that behaviour is good. Pupils also said that a few of their classmates sometimes distract lessons, but these are dealt with promptly.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The gaps between boys’ and girls’ attainment at the start of the early years narrows or closes by the time pupils reach the end of Year 2.  The school provides disadvantaged pupils with effective additional support and time to practise reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, any gaps in attainment between these pupils and their peers close quickly.  Standards of reading are improving. The school’s assessment information shows this clearly. When pupils read to inspectors, they clearly enjoyed their books, were confident when trying to read difficult words and read at a standard that was at least in line with that expected for their age.  Results from the recent phonics check in Year 1 indicate a much higher proportion of pupils are reaching the standard expected for age, compared with previous years.  Most-able pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Their written work is longer

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Outcomes for pupils are good

and more complex. In mathematics, they are able to solve challenging written problems with confidence.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because of the effective support they receive from teaching assistants and the well-structured work provided by teachers.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language learn to speak, write and read fluently within a relatively short time.

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Early years provision is good

 The early years provision is well led by the deputy headteacher. She has ensured that the recent changes in staffing, which have concerned a few parents, have not hindered pupils’ learning.  Children have a good start in the Nursery. The learning environments have improved since the previous inspection. For example, the introduction of the ‘Gruffalo Grove’ in the outdoor learning area inspires and excites the Nursery children. Children’s good progress continues through the Reception Year. Children enjoy a range of interesting activities that help them become confident learners. As a result they are well prepared for Year 1.  The learning profiles used to record and describe children’s development are informative and support the good relationships the school has with parents. Staff accurately assess where children are in different aspects of their learning. This accuracy has been verified by the local authority and staff from other early

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Early years provision is good

years settings. Consequently, the good progress children make during their time in the early years can be demonstrated securely by the school.  Children are well behaved and respond well to adults’ instructions. In addition, children show a good understanding of the importance of kindness and are proud of their work.  Teaching assistants support children well by employing a good balance of questions and directions to keep them focused on learning.  The gaps between those children supported through pupil premium funding and their peers narrow quickly. Adults promptly identify children’s learning needs and provide extra help, for example additional time with an adult or specialist resources to support speech and communication, so that children make good progress.  Children who speak English as an additional language settle in quickly and make good progress.  Phonics is taught well and provides the right amount of challenge for pupils of all abilities. Consequently,

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Early years provision is good

children are able to confidently identify different blends of letters.

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School details

Unique reference number 101188 Local authority Barking and Dagenham Inspection number 10009180

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 420 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Matthews Headteacher Wendy Birch Telephone number 020 8270 4655 Website www.dorothybarleyinfant.co.uk Email address office@d-barley-i.bardaglea.org.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 March 2014

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Information about this school

 Dorothy Barley Infants’ School is larger than the average primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is much higher than average.  A higher-than-average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is higher than average. These funds are used to tackle disadvantage and help pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school’s breakfast club is run by the governing body and was included in the inspection.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than the national average.  The current headteacher holds a temporary, interim post, which she started in January 2016. A new headteacher has been appointed for the start of the school year in September 2016.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils learning in a range of lessons throughout the school. Some of these observations were short, focused visits and others were longer and gathered a wider range of information about teaching and learning. Inspectors were often accompanied by a senior leader.  Meetings and informal discussions took place with senior leaders, including governors, subject leaders, parents, pupils and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors scrutinised documentation regarding the school’s website and safeguarding, including the single central register.  Other information looked at included the school’s self-evaluation, plans for improvement and the school’s analysis of pupils’ progress.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons, before and during school time was observed by inspectors.  Inspectors took into account the 95 responses to the online questionnaire ‘Parent View’, the 13 responses from the staff survey and the response of one pupil to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

John Seal, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Anna Bosher Ofsted Inspector Alison Martin Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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